Orlando, FL – The Orlando Magic came out with a dominant 111-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons in their home arena, making it five out of their last eight games holding their opponent to below 100 points.
From the tip-off, it was evident that Franz Wagner was on a mission, tying his career-high 38 points. Wagner showcased his offensive prowess, scoring with precision and flair. Of those 38 points, 27 of those buckets came in the second half, which was a testament to his ability to take over a game when it mattered most. Wagner’s elite efficiency made it difficult for the Pistons to shut him down, seeing as Franz was able to sink in an insane 68% of his shots.
Paolo Banchero, who orchestrated the offense to take some of Wagner’s load and keep Detroit on their toes, nearly recorded a triple-double with 20 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds. Banchero’s playmaking skills and gravity complemented Wagner’s dynamic performance, creating a formidable one-two punch for the Magic.
In usual Magic fashion, the defense was a huge highlight of the game as well. Not a single Pistons player scored more than 20 points on the night and they shot a combined 25.8% from deep, all thanks to the Magic role players helping the stars out on the other end of the court to allow them to carry the offensive side of the ball. To rub salt in the wound, Orlando also shot almost 10% better from the field than Detroit did in the game.
Wagner and Banchero have set a positive tone for the Orlando Magic as they look ahead to their next challenge against the Miami Heat, who aren’t in the best form and have slipped away from their placement in the Eastern Conference to the Magic in recent days.